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We Want to Hear From You!

May 16, 2002

How is Special Education Law Working for You?

The Youth Advisory Committee of the National Council on Disability (NCD) would appreciate your providing feedback so that NCD has input from a wide range of elementary, secondary, college students and other young people with disabilities. We are providing several guiding questions that you may choose to use for organizing the information you wish to share with us. The Youth Advisory Committee will use your feedback when advising NCD about how the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) affects students and can be improved. In turn, NCD will consider the information as it makes decisions about advice and recommendations to Congress and the President.

Guiding Questions to assist your feedback:

1. When you think about your years in school, what comes to mind about special education and related services?

2. If your school was reluctant to provide special education services because of financial concerns, which services were disputed? Did you receive the services that your IEP team said you needed?

3. If the discipline procedures under IDEA need to be clearer, how would you change the way the discipline policy is explained to students and their parents?

4. How important were specific factors such as cultural, ethnic, social or language background in your being placed in special education?

5. How could schools do a better job before students leave high school to help you and other young people with disabilities prepare in areas such as: Employment, Transportation, Housing, Managing my finances, Health care, Independent living, Connecting to resources in my community, and/or Postsecondary (college or vocational) education?

We hope that young people with disabilities (elementary school through college age), their families and other supporters will provide feedback. We encourage anyone whose disability makes writing difficult to ask supporters for assistance in responding.

Please help this important effort by sharing copies of this inquiry with all of the young people with disabilities that you know.

Thank you for telling us about your school experiences. Your stories will help us understand how well current special education laws are working.

Please return your comments by June 14. Send them to: Youth Advisory Committee, National Council on Disability, 1331 F St., NW, Suite 850, Washington, DC 20004. Fax: (202) 272-2022 or e-mail them to ghawkins@ncd.gov